An optical position transducer is described in FIG. 4a of European Published Patent Application No. 0 548 848. It includes a scale, as well as a scanning device that is movable in relation thereto. Signal-generating means are located on the side of the scanning device to produce displacement-dependent scanning signals. The signal-generating means include, inter alia, a light source, a scanning grating, a plurality of optoelectronic detector elements, as well as a deflector element in the form of a mirror for selectively influencing a light beam's propagation direction. The light source, the detector elements, as well as the mirror are mounted together in a carrier housing, which is movably supported and is spatially adjustable via adjusting mechanisms in the form of setting screws. By way of the setting screws, the light beam deflected by the mirror in the direction of the scanning grating can thus be properly aligned in the scanning beam path with respect to the scanning grating or the scale. However, the drawback of adjusting the light beam on sides of the scanning device, as proposed, is that a relatively expensive mechanical system is required. Moreover, the proposed variant for adjusting the deflector element is not universally applicable to other scanning systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical position transducer which may enable a light beam to be precisely, spatially aligned or deflected in the scanning beam path in a flexible and simple manner.